It was May 23,2016. Arnot, the 32-year-old mountain guide, reached the top of Qomolangma without the use of oxygen (O2) equipment. It was achieved after seven years, three previous attempts, and fourteen straight hours of climbing.
After 15 minutes at the top, Arnot began her descent (下坡). Eight hours later, she reached the camp at 7, 600 meters and became the first American woman—and only the seventh woman ever—to successfully reach Mount Qomolangma without oxygen equipment.
“There are so many reasons for her impressive achievement, especially the physical and emotional efforts that she’s put forth over the years to make this happen,” says the professional climber and photographer Richards. “The mental courage that it requires is something very few people have.”
Arnot didn’t start climbing until she was 19 years old. Money was tight in her family, and climbing mountains never occurred in her mind. After graduating from college, Arnot was invited by her friend to climb a mountain. “It totally changed my life,” says Arnot. “I always know that if you want something, you can achieve it, but knowing what you want is a whole different thing,” she says. “I am athletic but not competitive. After my first climbing, I knew immediately that mountains are what I want — as that is where I felt home for the first time in my life.”
After that first climb, she devoted herself to learning how to climb and move through mountain. It was during her second trip to Qomolangma in 2009 that she first set her sights on a no-oxygen attempt. However, while hiking into Qomolangma Base Camp that year, she hurt her leg and wasn’t able to climb without oxygen. In 2013 she nearly made it to the top, but was forced to take oxygen at 8, 504 meters while helping another climber.
When Arnot finally stood atop Qomolangma, she called her best friend, “I reached the top and I’m not using any oxygen.” Then, tears began to stream down from her eyes. So much of Arnot’s life has been about pushing the limits of her abilities, and in this case, she’s also pushed up against the outer limits of the human spirit.
1. On May 23, 2016, Arnot ________.| A．spent 8 straight hours climbing |
| B．stayed at the top for 50 minutes |
| C．made her first attempt to climb Qomolangma |
| D．reached the top without oxygen equipment |
| A．money was no longer a problem to her |
| B．mountains gave her the feeling of comfort |
| C．she tried to be more athletic and competitive |
| D．she wanted to build up her body through climbing |
| A．She took up climbing when she was 19 years old. |
| B．She has always been a good climber since her childhood. |
| C．She climbed Qomolangma with her family during her first trip. |
| D．She hurt her leg badly while helping another climber in 2009. |
| A．Determined and brave. |
| B．Cautious and honest. |
| C．Caring and open-minded. |
| D．Confident and creative. |
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【推荐1】What makes a gift special? Is it the price you see on the gift receipt? Or is it the look on the recipient’s face when they receive it that determines the true value? What gift is worth the most?
This Christmas I was debating what to give my father. My dad is a hard person to buy for because he never wants anything. I pulled out my phone to read a text message from my mom saying that we were leaving for Christmas shopping for him when I came across a message on my phone that I had locked. The message was from my father. My eyes fell on a photo of a flower taken in Wyoming, and underneath a poem by William Blake. The flower, a lone dandelion (蒲公英) standing against the bright blue sky, inspired me. My dad had been reciting those words to me since I was a kid. That may even be the reason why I love writing. I decided that those words would be my gift to my father.
I called back. I told my mom to go without me and that I already created my gift. I sent the photo of the cream-colored flower to my computer and typed the poem on top of it. As I was arranging the details another poem came to mind. The poem was written by Edgar Allan Poe; my dad recited it as much as he did the other. I typed that out as well and searched online for a background to the words of it. The poem was focused around dreaming, and after searching I found the perfect picture. The image was painted with blues and greens and purples, twisting together to create the theme and wonder of a dream. As I watched both poems passing through the printer, the white paper coloring with words that shaped my childhood, I felt that this was a gift that my father would truly appreciate.
Christmas soon arrived. The minute I saw the look on my dad’s face as he unwrapped those black letters carefully placed in a cheap frame, I knew I had given the perfect gift.
1. How did the idea for a special gift begin to form?| A．When the author was doing shopping. | B．When the author was reading a message. |
| C．When the author was having a debate. | D．When the author was leaving for Wyoming. |
| A．A story about a kid. | B．A call from the mother. |
| C．A text about Christmas. | D．A photo of a flower. |
| A．By matching the words with pictures. | B．By searching for the poems online. |
| C．By drawing the background by hand. | D．By painting the letters in three colors. |
| A．To show how to design images for gifts. | B．To explain how computers help create gifts. |
| C．To suggest making gifts from one’s heart. | D．To describe the gifts the author has received. |
【推荐2】For one hundred years, fashionable women around the world have applied Chanel No. 5 to their skin. The fragrance, which includes jasmine, rose and cedar, has remained popular through good and bad times despite many changes in fashion It is now the longest-selling perfume (香水) on the market.
Chanel No. 5’s designer Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel was born in 1883 and grew up in rural France. Her mother died when she was only 12. After she grew up, she moved to Paris where she designed stylish clothes for women.
Upon becoming famous, Chanel became used to rubbing shoulders with wealthy men and women in fancy places. In 1921, she decided to create a perfume for her best clients. She said perfume “is the unseen, unforgettable, ultimate accessory of fashion... that heralds your arrival and prolongs your departure.” Chanel contacted a perfume maker named Ernest Beaux. He eventually produced ten fragrances numbered 1-5 and 20-24. Chanel chose number five, which named the perfume and became the first fragrance to feature the name of a fashion designer.
To celebrate, Chanel took Beaux and some friends out for dinner at a fancy restaurant. She sprayed Chanel No. 5 around the table, and every woman who walked past asked what the fragrance was. Their positive reactions confirmed Chanel’s intuition (直觉): the new perfume was going to be a hit.
Chanel described her perfume as “A perfume like nothing else. A woman's perfume, with the scent of a woman.” In a time when women faced many barriers to success, Chanel created a high-quality fragrance that has stood the test of time. It is still a staple in the fashion industry today.
1. The first Chanel No. 5 was intended for Gabrielle Chanel's ________.| A．colleagues | B．customer | C．partner | D．mother |
| A．Announces. | B．Shortens. | C．Replaces. | D．Hides. |
| A．change the fashion industry | B．last for a long time |
| C．make her famous | D．get popular soon |
| A．The Legend of Chanel No. 5 | B．Chanel No. 5, a Guide for Women |
| C．Gabrielle Chanel, a Woman of Wealth | D．A Fashion Designer in Clothing Industry |
Christmas Eve was tomorrow. I hoped one of the packages that held a camera had already been placed under the Christmas tree. It was the only thing I wanted. I had been dropping hints to my parents. I love taking photos. My bedroom walls are covered with photos I had taken with my mom’s old camera. I’m always trying to capture (捕捉) those perfect moments in which you can hear the laughter or touch the beautiful scene, but my camera has always seemed to fall short.
I knew Mom had put a few presents under the tree this morning, so I went on a hunt in my mom’s room. I opened the door and found my Christmas present was lying unwrapped on the floor — a big pink cat. I felt so disappointed.
Mom seemed to notice that, and she tried to cheer me up. “Stacy, I got your present today. I am so excited to surprise you!” “I can’t wait,” I said. The next day I couldn’t wait any longer. I needed to tell her.
“Mom, may I talk to you for a second?”
“Sure, dear. What do you need to talk about?” she asked.
And so it came — how upset I was that I was getting a cat.
“Stacy, that cat is for your sister Julia!” she said with a smile.
“Then what am I getting?” I asked.
She just smiled. “You’ll have to wait and see.”
Next morning, I happily got into the living room and sat next to the tree. I pulled out the box with my name on it and opened the wrapping paper to find…
My camera! “Thank you!” I said to both Dad and Mom.
Dad picked up the camera and took a picture of Julia, Mom and me. It has become one of my favorite pictures. Just on that Christmas morning, I took lots of photos with my camera — my little sister making a face, my parents giving me a soft smile — and all of these photos have come to mean one thing to me: LOVE.
1. The underlined phrase “dropping hints” in Paragraph 1 means ________.| A．talking often | B．sending presents |
| C．suggesting indirectly | D．taking pictures |
| A．Her mother couldn’t understand her at all. |
| B．Her mother didn’t buy her any Christmas gift. |
| C．She mistook her sister’s Christmas gift for hers. |
| D．She didn’t find her present in her mom’s room. |
| A．her mother bought Stacy a big pink cat |
| B．her mother knew what gift Stacy wanted |
| C．Stacy thought it’s OK to have an old camera |
| D．Stacy finally got her gift on Christmas Eve |
| A．A Christmas gift as wished |
| B．Love is more important than gifts |
| C．A wonderful Christmas |
| D．Love cannot be bought |
【推荐1】When he first rose to stardom in the NBA, Yao Ming could not possibly have known the influence he would have on the American understanding of China.
In the eyes of many Americans, Chinese are short, bookish, and not especially athletic. Yao, 26, has turned that image on its head. A giant at 2.26 metres, he has been the most talked-about player in the league since he topped the NBA draft（选秀）in 2002.
When Yao first joined the Rockets and struggled with an American style of basketball, many were quick to label（标记）Yao “a failure”. But Yao played on. He did not let the criticism affect his performance. Even when former NBA star Charles Barkley bet that Yao could not score more than 19 points in a single game, Yao kept his self-respect. The same cannot be said for Barkley, who was forced to kiss a real donkey’s ass（屁股）when Yao passed the 19-point mark early in his first season.
For Americans, Yao’s polite and friendly personality is a welcome contrast to the rude behaviour of the NBA’s bad boys. Compared with most other NBA players, Yao Ming is a true gentleman. He respects all of his opponents（对手）, even those who are not friendly to him.
“He is so wise and humourous that he seems like a diplomat（外交家）rather than a basketball player sometimes,” said Ron Burke, an NBA TV reporter.
In addition, Yao’s witty answers have changed the opinion that Chinese people are boring. When asked what were his favourite English words, Yao told the press that the five words were “This is the last question.” Yao is winning supporters within the league as well. After a Rockets-Lakers game that Shaquille O’Neal had to sit out with an injury, O’Neal said, “You played pretty good, Yao Ming.” Yao replied, “That’s because you weren’t there.”
1. What attitude do many people take with Yao Ming when he first joined the Rockets?| A．Friendly. | B．Doubtful. | C．Sincere. | D．Angry. |
| A．proved that he was athletic | B．passed the 19-point mark early |
| C．showed his politeness and friendliness | D．beat former NBA star Charles Barkley |
| A．Yao Ming was respectful and smart | B．Yao Ming was boring and proud |
| C．Yao Ming topped the NBA draft | D．Yao Ming wasn’t a failure any more |
| A．Yao Ming’s road to stardom. |
| B．The skills Ming showed in NBA. |
| C．Yao Ming’s competition with other NBA players. |
| D．The impact of Yao Ming on Americans’ attitudes towards Chinese. |
【推荐2】“I’m saying goodbye”：Maria Sharapova retires from tennis
“Tennis-I’m saying goodbye. ”
“How do you leave behind the only life you’ve ever known?” she asked herself.
Over the last couple of years，she’s dealt with an injury in her right shoulder and inflammation(炎症) in her forearms that may have prevented her from returning to top form. In more recent news，the death of her longtime friend，US basketball legend Kobe Bryant，also played a factor in her decision to retire.
“As I think you’ve seen throughout my career，my perseverance has been my greatest tool，my greatest strength. ”Sharapova said in an interview. “But I've started feeling like it was becoming a weakness.
For 16 straight years from 2004，Sharapova was the world’s highest-earning female athlete，according to Forbes. Off the court，she made millions of dollars from companies such as Evian and Nike，as well as starting her own candy company.
“
| A．Although I have left the tennis world where I achieved so much， |
| B．Maria Sharapova has left the tennis court for some reasons. |
| C．Tennis showed me the world—and it showed me what I was made of. |
| D．And so in whatever I might choose for my next chapter，my next mountain |
| E．With these words，Russian tennis superstar Maria Sharapova，32，has announced her retirement. |
| F．because the stubbornness that was keeping me going was keeping me going for wrong reasons. |
| G．Several reasons played a role in Sharapova leaving the tennis court for good. |
【推荐3】Shizo Kanakuri, known as the “father of the Japanese marathon”, was one of only two Japanese athletes to compete in the 1912 Stockholn Olympics. The media gave little attention and the government did not cover athletes’ travel costs. As a result, Kanakuri’s fellow college students organized a nationwide fundraiser (资金筹集活动) to collect money.
The trip to Sweden took 18 days, first by ship and then by the Trans-Siberian Railway. At stations, whenever the train stopped, Kanakuri would jump for a quick workout before hurriedly getting on the train again. The difficult journey had taken its toll, and when he finally arrived in Sweden, he discovered that the local food didn’t agree with his stomach. To make matters worse, Kanakuri’s coach had to stay in bed due to a serious disease which prevented him from giving two athletes, including Kanakuri, enough pre-race training.
On the day of the race, the heat was scorching (灼热的). One Portuguese runner was hospitalized and died the next day, the first reported death during the Olympics. About halfway into the race, suffering from the heat, Kanakuri stopped at a house and asked the locals for a glass of water. After drinking, Kanakuri lay down and against his better judgment fell asleep. When he woke up, it was the next morning.
Kanakuri wrote in his journal the next day, “It’s the morning after my defeat. My heart is aching with regret for the rest of my life. I was a weak quitter.” Kanakuri did not tell the race officials, and quietly returned to Japan, thus many people thought he “disappeared” in the middle of the race.
Once back in his country, Kanakuri renewed training and determined to race again in the future. In 1967, Kanakuri returned to Stockholm and finished the race. When he finally crossed the finish line, his time was announced as 54 years 8 months 6 days 5 hours 32 minutes 20.3 seconds. Kanakuri joked, “It was a long trip. Along the way, I got married, had six children and 10 grandchildren.”
1. What happened to Kanakuri during his first journey to Sweden?| A．He was exposed by national media. | B．He fell ill due to the local climate. |
| C．He tried his best to keep training. | D．He was sponsored by the government. |
| A．Had had a bad effect on him. | B．Had aroused his will to fight. |
| C．Had given him a chance. | D．Had come to an end. |
| A．Ashamed. | B．Touched. | C．Excited. | D．Confused. |
| A．Pride hurts, modesty benefits. | B．Failure is the mother of success. |
| C．Interest is the best teacher. | D．Practice makes perfect. |
